


Through the Looking Glass

by Katsura369



Category: Magi: Adventure of Sinbad (Anime), Magi: Adventure of Sinbad (Manga), Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic, Naruto
Genre: Adventure & Romance, Crossover, Djinn Equip, Drama, F/M, Falling In Love, Fantasy, Haruno Sakura-centric, Hurt/Comfort, Magic, Possessive Sinbad, Strong Haruno Sakura, dimension travel-Sakura
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-15 05:22:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28933233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katsura369/pseuds/Katsura369
Summary: Fate was cruel yes, but Sakura hadn't realized how much until the universe decided to teach her by kicking her out of her world and into another. One with magical vessel possessing beings known as djinns; dangerous treasure filled buildings called dungeons and an infuriating yet interesting boy named Sinbad.
Relationships: Haruno Sakura & Sinbad (Magi), Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke, Ren Hakuyuu/ Haruno Sakura, Ren Kouen/ Haruno Sakura, Serendine Dikumenowlz Du Parthevia/ Haruno Sakura
Kudos: 39





	1. Mirror in the Mountain

**Author's Note:**

> I've been asked to post my stories on this site and finally caved, this is the rewrite of my story on fanfiction. Hope you enjoy!

Chaos. The word itself had no stronghold of a definition; it would be incorrect to assume otherwise. Why? Because that would imply solidarity, a boundary of limitation, that did not exist with chaos. No base to keep it up, yet it stood, defying practicality and the principal of balance. It was what shaped life itself. That was the power of chaos. There was no prelude for the impact it would inflict or when. Like standing in a blizzard without knowing it's cold. That was true chaos. It turned tables, reshapes its entire foundation, there was nothing that chaos could not do.

Nothing could define chaos and yet you would always know when it struck. And Sakura Haruno could only describe what had happened to her in the shortest possible period to be the work of chaos itself.

Within the four spaces of the carved sandstone, images protruding from the cracks of symbols to the left and right; and structures that were blurring with the shadow that crossed over them in an instant; conjoined with footstep which echoed lightly despite hammering against the floors, both hasty yet agile with practice, breaths coming out short but not labored with pain and difficulty. Excitement entering and exiting her mouth with the air and heat.

Her skin glistened with perspiration, that had less to do with her current and past motions but rather the environment that had conducted her actions and caused her senses to become frigid and stretch their arms so far the bones creaked from the strain.

At least she no longer had to be vigilant in terms of taking direction as there was only one passage that took different turns but not offering them simultaneously as it did before. That was irksome but merely a light breeze of discomfort in the bashing hurricane that had and continued to trail after her.

The heat was what she hated. Not even disliked. Her journey through the desert would have been like winter compared to this. Her red top, despite its light material, clung to her body with weighted moisture, keeping the heat pressed against her skin, the metal of her zipper sealing her top together burned her with the swaying back and forth motion from running, aside from her chest that was shielded by her second covering of fabric. She would have removed the top but did not want to feel anymore bare as the clothes on her back were all that had been brought with her when this unforeseen situation took her in its grasp.

In this time, she was grateful to be a ninja with enough stamina and speed to outrun something she wasn’t able to fight. While her chakra enhanced strength was considered monstrous among her peers, it couldn’t break the wave of lava chasing after her like an angry stampede. It was somehow maintaining its flow through the passages without even melting the walls and the heated growl as it singed everything it touched was a vicious promise of what was to come if Sakura stopped trying to escape it.

She was manipulated into taking the only path granted to her by this labyrinth, and it had clear intentions; to ensure that it eliminated all that occupied its space.

Natural light glistened against the darkness of the room opening its arms straight in her line of vision. However, that light was not shining from eye-level. No, it was from above. She halted at the cross between the passageway and the room. The room without a floor and an abyss she couldn't confirm was bottomless.

All four walls offered small cracks and crevices, wide and with thick green vines seductively woven along the walls. The vibrations from the ground shook through her body and the heat made her feel like her perspiration would evaporate.

She didn't look back, and leaped with her left foot, pushing on the sole making a jump nearly eight meters; easily grasping the handles on the walls but her hands felt its slickness and its scent that crawled to the back of her nose and down her throat so she could taste it on her tongue.

Oil.

The lava pouring like water was almost captivating, but with deadly promise, Sakura didn’t feel the need to watch as it pooled from the bottom of the floor-less room and reached for her once again. 

‘Like hell,’ She smiled with arrogance as she pulled her weight easily up along the slippery cracks and protruding rocks slicked in oil. Increasing her pace when the heat grew too close.

The climb wasn't pleasant, but nothing impossible especially for a ninja, and her head hit the clear air when she jumped out of the hole, grateful after being underground for so long.

As her skin started to cool against a warm breeze of mist, Sakura observed her new surroundings of this outside. 

The sky wasn’t blue covered in clouds nor black with dots of silver illuminating against it. No rather there was just a plain light provided from above with thin lines of gold lining above in a circular pattern. She stepped on terrain that crumbled under her feet, producing steam, the ground cracked and gray as if ready to turn to ash itself.

As far as her eyes could reach, able to touch nothing but the sight of these ever arching mountains of gray plains accompanied by the mist of steam and pits filled with the molten lava. Though still warm, it was less confining compared to the underground room she had woken up in.

She wasn't a stranger to dangerous situations, and her mentality easily kept her from stepping over the thin line of sanity and insanity. Though nothing about this seemed lucid. No matter how many times she attempted to rewind into the past, she was unable to draw a further conclusion as to how this happened.

..

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Mornings in Konhagakure was like a short film played in Sakura Haruno’s mind; no matter when she woke up or how the weather looked that day; it was always the same in her eyes.

Emerging from her bed to do a short morning routine in preparation for the day. Dress in her same sleeveless red top with the plain white circle drawn on the back, spandex shorts, and gray apron skirt with too many zippers. Sometimes she would wear a plain shirt underneath that would not compliment her appearance.

She barely observes herself in the mirror to see how much she had changed or hasn't. With her short, choppy pink hair standing out awkwardly against her round face; and her emerald green eyes; her most captivating features which were also lacking in personality as they were neglected by their owner.

Her hair adorned only with her ninja headband, a short red ribbon with a metal plate in the center with the carved symbol of her village. And that was all. It wasn’t that she didn’t tend to it, but maintenance was no more than what was necessary and no further attention. 

Her eyes were more worn, than anything and couldn’t shine with childish abandonment. Always narrowed in; focused. It was preferable.

Sitting on her window, safe under a piece of glass within a wooden frame. A picture of herself at twelve, eyes closed and mouth in a wide smile, her wide forehead framed by her long hair; leaning forward in the middle of two boys. To her right, Naruto, the shortest out of everyone in the frame, his blue eyes narrowed and glaring over her head, ignoring the hand rested on top of his spiked blond hair, arms crossed under his chest; three marks parallel on each cheek like whiskers, above his mouth, twisted down in displeasure.

To her left, was the image of the boy who made her heart skip and break at the same time. Dark hair like a raven's feathers being, a hand resting atop his head mirroring Naruto's; eyes black as coal-like closed windows no one could see through, his mouth closed and curved down, eyebrows furrowed in a frown revealing his disposition to the situation.

Towering over them from behind but hunched forward as if to shield; a man with little features to distinguish as his narrow face was covered by a mask, revealing only the upper half, his eye closed while the other covered by his headband, but his eyebrows curved in a downward arch. Silver hair that stood upward, and curled only slightly to right. That was her teacher Kakashi.

Her teammates; her friend’s; her goal.

* * *

It has been two years and this image was as close as she could get to any of the three, but it was enough to keep her moving forward each day. Doing whatever she could in hopes of restoring that picture to more than just a moment captured in time. Sasuke who abandoned the village, Naruto who left to train and bring him back, Kakashi who had lost his students as a result and no longer had a team to guide; focused on furthering his abilities. And then there was her.

The small remnant that was trying to be more.

* * *

Training and studying in medical ninjutsu, trying to use whatever ability she had brought her closer to those three again. Some days, especially the hard ones, it felt like pouring water into a cup with holes. But to allow herself to dwell on it would mean surrendering to a future that wasn't yet determined.

"Shishou," The pinkette called, lightly tapping on the thick wooden door before swinging it open. A wide room, with sunlight glaring through the windows that allowed one to overlook the village; a fitting position for the leader, the Hokage to reside. At the desk behind the window, a woman with blonde pigtails, slouched over, her head down on the desk covered with papers. The air with the distinct smell of booze.

She stepped further in, clearing her throat, “Shishou; Lady Tsunade!”

The Hokage looked up from her pile of papers at the pinkette in front of her, rubbing her eyes she saw the girls features clearer. Though she was still slightly blurred, too much time had passed for her not to recognize her apprentice.

“Oh Sakura when did you arrive?” asked Tsunade

“Just a moment ago” 

“Well um.....why are you here again?”

“Training shishou,” She reminded her. Though Sakura had her own temperament; it was a small flame that could be snuffed out by her teacher’s; hence she wasn’t able to probably express her disposition.

Tsunade nodded drowsily “Oh; I see. Before we start, I need you to assist with some errands,” 

It wasn’t unusual for her to assist her teacher, although she already had that when someone was conveniently close; especially as close as Sakura was; it only made sense to utilize.

“Yes,”

"There's been some maintenance done in Hokage Rock and I just need someone to double-check the tunnels. They were finished last week and I hadn’t the time to check them myself,” Tsunade handed Sakura a stack of papers “Those are the maps that have been made for the routes, I need you to make sure they are accurate,”

"That will take me nearly all day," Sakura said more to herself than to Tsunade, now she understood why she didn't want to do it herself.

"Oh no, it'll take no longer than an hour I'm sure. Well I'll leave it to you then"

“Yes ma’am” Sakura sighed.

* * *

Being sedulous would be a weight for many but Sakura, it was what helped her walk lighter. Training, working at the hospital, running errands, everything that required her mind's diligence and attention, and her body movements; pushing them both to the point of exhaustion in some way was how she ironically kept going every day. Because sometimes regret and despair would press down so hard on her chest she couldn't breathe and it was as if the world had turned black.

Weak. It was her most canonical description she could give herself; and it was a shame she constantly attempted to bury from the outside. It would only ensure further pity, what's more, it would fix nothing.

People who endure. That was a principal of being a shinobi, it was the baseline of all the rules a ninja had to follow to survive under their circumstances. And she had struggled with this from the beginning. If she had been further scrutinized; many would say she wasn't fit for the role she chose and she would agree, but at the same time, she knew she had strength; and at the very least determination and stubbornness. Somehow she managed to keep going forward regardless of what she faced; therefore she had some merit. 

“And that’s the last,” Sakura said to herself as she exited the last route, completing her inspection. These passageways carved into Hokage rock leading to a hollow entrance of the mountain was meant to act a bunker for the villagers when there was an attack or emergency and the various routes had to be properly inspected and maintained.

There were quite a few passageways to prevent congestion when such an event occurred. It was fitting that Hokage Rock was purposed for this. 

The inside of the bunker was wide, the light provided shined through the pupils of the heads carved in the stone. Her footsteps nonexistent as she walked around observing everything.

'Hokage' Her vision blurred. Today was one of those days when stopping meant returning to the past. She remembered the constant ranting of Naruto; promising that he would one day become the village leader; the Hokage. It wasn't arrogance that enticed him to want the role; but his determination to gain the respect that he was denied. It was so hard for her to understand his motive as more than a childish fantasy but his dream. There was so much she wasn't able to see and understand back then; and perhaps even now she was blinded more than the rest.

She looked up at the light, her hand holding up so a shadow cast over her eyes, ‘I wish I could undo all of this myself, with my own hands……change everything,’

It was like butterfly wings touching her ears; whispering from a distance that it almost didn't exist. Perhaps a figment of her imagination; a voice inside her head that was just articulate through the silence around her. Still enough to turn her head.

"Hello?" Her voice echoed her uncertainty. Looking around cautiously, perching her ears she held out for a few minutes; but when nothing was heard she relaxed. It must have been a voice of her imagination and not of the tongue.

But then she heard it again, barely entering the passageways again. She returned and called out, “Hello?”

There was no way to distinguish what she heard, it sounded like a voice but the noise was too gentle to make the words visible. Again in silence, she waited; this time it came again but it wasn't a voice.

The sound was rhythmic but not as audible as the voice; this was more muffled but unusually close. Her eyes trailed along the inside of the mountain before she moved closer to the walls of the mountain, lingering her air against the stone walls and instinctively feeling herself drawing closer to the sound.

She barely breathed when she stopped; hovering right above the sound coming from behind a stone wall. She pushed her hand against it; solid rock.

Perhaps it was her curiosity that gave her a lacking moment of lucidity, but she was determined to find the source of the sounds. She molded chakra in her palm and pushed; moving it with much more ease than she expected, nearly losing her footing. It was weighed heavily with a stone a few tons but it moved nonetheless; despite showing now visible signs of cracks that would indicate it was a hidden door.

“What is this?”

She cautiously stepped into the darkness, keeping her hand out to feel out for anything. The sound continued, now becoming an articulate fluttering. 

Finally, Sakura's long walk came to an end, as she met with the slightest bit of light from a corner in a short distance and picked up her pace. From around the bend, there was a dead-end wide enough for her to pace six steps; against the other side, pressed against the wall was a quarter-length mirror.

She stepped forward; observing its gold framing, carved with patterned curves and twists to captivate its beholder. The nearer she came the louder the fluttering grew. She was finally close enough to see her reflection in the clear mirror; there was not a trace of dust or a line of murkiness. 

_“Come……..closer,”_

Her eyes were losing its lucidity, as she reached out a delicate hand towards the mirror, her reflection mimicking her actions, but it felt as though there was someone else reaching for her. The tips of her fingers, then her palm gently pressed against the glass, but instead of that solid coldness, Sakura felt an unusual warmth and softness against her skin.

A pulsing against her senses. 

_“At last,”_

Sakura’s hand went straight through it as if her entire hand was being enclosed by a solid force that continued to pull her forward. The glass of the mirror no longer reflecting her, but turning entirely white, emitting a painful glow she had to turn away from while she attempted to pry her hand free. Soon the rest of her followed being drawn into the mirror-like a magnet.

She cried out as she was drawn into the mirror having little knowledge that as she entered the mirror it faces began to crack slowly from the corner leading downwards like a tear spreading pattering like a spiders web; until finally….it shattered.

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Sakura's memory was equip with many variations of pain and its creators; from external wounds drawing bruises and blood, to nerves pinching, muscles pulling taut with agony, and that of continued momentum despite enervation. But if she had to put all of those experiences together, she wouldn't be able to remember it in comparison to what shew as experiencing right now.

This pain was going further than her physical and chemical makeup should have allowed; as if it was one of those sensations that were only meant to last for a moment before you became numb but she wasn't reaching that point. She couldn't cry to express her torment and she couldn't scream to distract herself with sound. She couldn't even pass into a state of unconsciousness to numb her senses. 

The center point of the pain she couldn’t locate, as there was no mercy of a slow spread throughout her body.

As if something was burrowing inside of her from every inch of her body, breaking through her skin, her muscle fibers, bones, tissue, organs, the blood in her veins, everything she was comprised of and then further into the very essence of herself, just driving deeper heightening the pain. It was like being ripped rather than cut, being broken and repaired, such an intensity that you couldn't even hope for a future without this pain because you can't think about anything else, completely lost to all sense of time, but feeling like you understand what eternity was.

Then it just stopped.

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The fluttering was so loud to her now it was as if the sound had crawled into her ear canals and chose to take up residence. Sakura sensed her neck muscles straining as her head arched back, her torso no longer anchoring her legs to the ground. Her feet arched back, pushed against the air.

What was happening?

Her eyes were now open all the way, and she couldn’t force them closed. She attempted to contort her body to a position to see what was beneath her - if there was anything beneath her.

There was but it was nothing she had been prepared to see from this position ever in her life. With the sound of fluttering still so loud in her ears, and the only thing to touch was air, the sight was the dominating sense she depended on to understand her surroundings.

It was a mystical vision, almost divine, completely darkness complimenting a sphere distant enough to define its enormity. Rays of light, standing out from it as if reflecting off the darkness; one getting closer to her now stationary position mid-air; until she was engulfed in the flashing light that she had to shut her eyes from the sensation.

Without knowing, she reached forward, as if she could grab light itself. But her hand stopped; her palm becoming warm under a solid touch. Again she opened her eyes; and she was met with a more realistic view; however unusual still. Everything was real. She lay in the center of an eight-pointed star, drawn of white light illuminating her form before fading into dull nothingness. 

“Where is this?”

Sitting up, her hand clenched around something she had been holding that she didn't remember grabbing. Opening her palm, examining the object. A frame of gold, twisted and carved, with an opening to her palm in an oval. Without knowing what to make of it, Sakura placed the item in a pocket; more concerned with gaining answers to her growing list of questions.

There was almost no light, but she could detect from the roughness of the ground some form of stone under her fingers, though the pungent smell of moss and wet air and dirt were absent in what she believed to be underground. There was at least a stuffy heat of being packed in or tightly sealed.

She stalked towards the only source of light, shining through a door-sized hole introducing a larger area but still confining. Magma poured through cracks and crevices in the walls, gathering in pools on the grounds with greater depth, fortunately there was still high ground that allowed Sakura to walk, a lot of room depending on where she would tread.

* * *

The body could be the best teller of time depending on the conditions it endured. Aware of how much sleep is needed to recover, sounding alarms of strain and pain when it was no longer able to endure certain labors and emitting physical and mental discomfort in less than suitable environments. Sakura used to adhere to her body's clock, but she had come to overthrow that time with her willpower.

This situation was no different, even as she felt the temperature continue to rise, as if she had been placed in a slow heating oven, the pinkette endured calmly. Determined not to allow herself to deter and make any mistakes.

Wiping the sweat off her brow, and jostling her collar for air with minimum movement. She kept surveying her surroundings, following through corridors of stone, avoiding the pits of magma and lava.

At times the ground beneath her would fall through, and she would be met with one or both of these heated elements of nature, sometimes at the heels of her feet before she was able to quickly move through. To move on the ground that wouldn't always hold; it was child-play for someone who could cling to the walls at the soles of her feet and hang upside down on the ceiling and was light enough on her feet to catch her balance before it slipped through her fingers.

‘Crap,’ She thought jumping over a pit spitting flames. Even though she could do this dance, she was getting tired of moving to the rhythm. It was like an extreme game of hopscotch at times, leaping across the floors. Becoming such a generic action that she was able to devote her concentration to what lead to these events. 

'A hidden room in the mountain, that mirror-is it some sort of transportation device?' She really couldn't find any logical explanation no matter how many times she replayed it in her head. She heard fluttering and a voice, but the details alone were too vague to draw any conclusive lines and create a picture allowing her to fully comprehend what had and was occurring.

* * *

The next turn she took did not have the same rigorous walkway but rather offered stable ground and two doors of silver, split down with no handles to offer an invitation. A tablet of stone carved with an orthography she hadn't seen anywhere before and couldn't decipher. But she had enough intellect to know it was likely related to the two doors that now stood in front of her.

She had no way of knowing which one would be the right choice. With the heat, no preparation for what has become of her situation; she didn’t have the luxury of dwelling.

It wouldn’t matter if she went left or right if she was just going to end up boiling either way. She decided to head right. Pushing on the door, it opened easily. Almost as if there was an interior force pulling it for her.

This time the hallways were narrow, and closed off in stone trapping in the heat; and she would soon discover to be filled with more sinkholes than before. There wasn't much for her to admire, and she was more focused on the raging heat pricking through her skin like thorns that couldn't be pulled.

Nothing happened long enough for her to feel safe increasing her speed; the near silence coupled with the heat would have caused many to lose their faculties.

A step and she caught the familiar whizzing of cutting through the wind, instantly throwing herself forward and avoiding the spines of rock that had materialized and shot itself at her. She looked around for any trigger to this but saw nothing at the ground she had just stepped on. The rock was compressed to pierce well.

A bead of sweat slid down her forehead, collected at her chin, and dropped with a thought, 'Don't tell me…..'

She picked up a stone on the ground and tossed it into the air, watching as it was impaled with a spike, emerging only for the purpose of hitting that specific target. Normally, there was a trigger to a trap, and if you could find it you could either avoid or negate, but this time Sakura knew that her body was the trigger. And this place was becoming easily known as her enemy.

Crouching, her right leg leaned back, hind, before she made the plunge, pushing the soles of her feet against the floors, to the untrained eye it would be as if she was a phantom; like her blurred form was solid. It was easier for her to move when she didn't care about the noise she made; the way she breathed, expressing her displeasure with each initiation of movement in avoiding those spikes.

Her body shifted and twisted acrobatically and with a continuum, darting around, her limbs seemingly limp yet controlled, twisting in the air like she didn’t need gravity’s permission to grant her range of movement.

By the time she had reached the traps finish line, it had been short enough for her to endure but long enough to thoroughly agitated with the assistance of the ever-lasting heat as if she was in a clay oven.

And quickly losing patience to escape it.

* * *

The next room she stepped in, Sakura expected something sinister as it changed again, holding a platform decorated with gelatinous spears, and stone bridge leading from one side of the room to another darkened exit, lava spilling from the cracks. Though there were only signs of one entrance and exit, it was a distance away.

Sakura peered over the spears, reflecting her blurred image off the yellow and orange tinge. She continued to watch as her image began to shift despite her stationary form, and the spears begin to seep a liquid thick like broth and from the crevices followed small insect-like creatures with four eyes, arms like centipedes, teeth like needles all creeping towards her.

"Urgh!" Sakura kicked one of the creatures, wincing as its body singed her skin. It was as if she had poured boiling water over her leg. Nonetheless, the creature turns to a puddle on the floor. From them, Sakura kept her attacks swift and precise until all the monsters were reduced to that state.

“Well,” She wiped the sweat off her forehead, “That was easy,”

Sometimes, believing in a force that was more than yourself could be difficult, but at this point, the pinkette was convinced that there was something out there causing this grief. The puddles of slime quickly pulled together like magnets being drawn until it towered over Sakura, a creature with no distinct shape, mouth agape wide with disorganized teeth, jagged.

It dived down, head first towards her, white eyes glaring but crashed into the floor as the kunoichi was too adept in movement compared to the monster. Tendrils emerged from its body and began creating whip-like motions with one target in mind.

Dodging the attacks was still a simple feat, but Sakura was determined to get off the defensive and escape this predicament. Focusing chakra to her fist, she slammed it onto the floor, knowing that the monster would likely regenerate, and watched as she caused a chain reaction, the floor crumbled until she was able to see the lava gathered below. Stepping faster, she ran to the other end of the room as the floors collapsed chasing at her heels, but she made it to the end. Watching as the creature vanished.

Just as she released a breath, thick with relief a tremor ran through her body and the area around her nearly stealing her balance. When she turned back, she saw the small pit of lava grow to a height that was threatening to reach where she resided and she knew that there wouldn’t be any rest from here on.

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Despite reaching the outside, Sakura still wasn’t free. There was obviously a domain outside of this one, she just didn’t know how to access it. And though she knew the mirror had a part in transporting her, there were still more questions raised than answers.

Into the distance of ash mountains, was something in her sight enough to draw her forward despite the blazing heat. It was as if she had reached a place where she was just below boiling temperature. The air was thick with it that her throat ached for water with none present. She had seen doors. Colossal doors, lined with gold, thick in silver and as she attempted to push open, apparently locked. What stood out in the double doors was the darker shade of silver curved in shaping a hexagon.

‘Dammit, I need a key,’

She was just about convinced her luck had run out but only realized that she was truly exhausted of the phenomenon, when her balance was nearly taken again as the ground shook cracking open the dusky earth spitting flames and magma, a giant made of that very essence, encased in a body of hard stone, crevices of flames that turned purple shortly after, it's face carved with no distinct features, on top of its head curved horns wherein the center rested a panchromatic crystal shaped like a hexagon. She was quick to put one and one to make two, but that didn't raise her spirits. Especially when its eyes set on her, drawing out a clawed hand only to summon a sword of magma rock from the ground.

‘Great, now I need that key and a miracle to get it without fighting this thing,’

Sakura bent back almost touching the ground, the force of wind smacking her face but it was better than a sword. Flipping back several feet away from the monster, she avoided another hit creating a crater in the ground.

She wasn't able to feel the growing heat as she continued to avoid attacks, but it was taking a physical toll on her body. Despite its bulky build, the creature wasn't slow nor did it show any sign of slowing.

She waited until it landed another blow to the ground narrowly avoiding her, before she jumped on the side of the sword, her fist glowing with chakra molded and ready to be released. And then she made contact with the stone chest, expecting it to crack and be the end.

While it did crack, what followed was instant restoration. Flames present in the opening and closing with stones drawing towards it like a magnet. The more disturbing part for her was how ineffective her attack was.

In the air, she shifted when balls of flames came at her, but barring fangs, round faces with piercing eyes. While evading the first, she barely avoided the second, her top caught on fire. After landing, Sakura quickly removed the top, watching it vanish into the purple flames, now clad in her sports-bra. The edges of her torso were also burned, her skin raw.

She wasn't able to concentrate on healing however as the creator of those little fireballs was coming towards her heaving his heavy sword.

“Shit,” She hissed, crouched down and pushing off again to evade another attack. Flames erupted from where the giant hit this time, causing Sakura to shut her eyes for only a second, and that’s when she was struck from the side. Fire tore through her skin like it was paper, fading to reveal the ugly marring.

Again when the giant swung at her, Sakura attempted to punch back, but it was as if its body had nullified her chakra again. She broke through its body but it healed once more and again with less damage than anticipated.

'What's going on? Is this thing immune to chakra or something?' She was observant but under these circumstances, her prior focus was getting the key and escaping this plane. Avoiding the swings of its sword, and somehow evading the fire monsters that were attacking at the same time, but she wouldn't last in a prolonged fight like this. It was a stalemate.

Her eyes wandered back to the gem on top of the crown of the creature. Her goal set in mind. Again she flipped back, on one hand, avoiding another attack and then jumped into the air to keep the fire monsters at bay. Once landing, she waited still crouched as the force of the swing hit her, and then she struck, her fist clashing with the wrist of the giant, its stone armor crumbled and broke apart. Dropping the sword.

Sakura picked up the heavy weapon by its handle, her hand burning slightly from the heat it still emitted and then, as the creature was recovering its hand. The kunoichi took a big jump forward and swung with one hand, for the neck.

On contact, stones and flames splattered like a gaizer unleashed, and when the head landed on the floor, Sakura grasped with a firm hand on the key, pulling the gem out. The fire monster spheres vanished, fading as the giant did, into grounded sand like ash.

In haste, and vision blurred with the rising temperature that no longer allowed her to even swallow in relief, Sakura stood in front of the gate and placed the gem in the slot.

Without waking for the doors to fully open or for her vision to adjust, she stepped in, determined to escape the heat.

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It was a relief, the instant coolness that washed over Sakura when she stepped through the doors. Automatically her exit was also closed off but she didn’t care, she didn’t want to experience that degree of heat again. Her mouth was dry, she could barely taste the dirt and smoke that had kicked up in her mouth during her fight.

She stopped to observe her environment and heal her burns. She was inside a building, a structure held by pillars of stone, no cracks in tiles, nothing like the ruins she had been venturing through previously. So untouched not even a phantom could have occupied its space. Or so it appeared.

The room was lit brightly by torches and was littered with objects that all appeared to be made of stone. There were ornaments of some sorts and giant piles of pebbles stocked one after the other. In the middle of the room, standing on a pedestal was a simple block urn with an eight-pointed star in the front.

She didn’t peer around while approaching the urn; laying a single touch on its center there was a bright light and then soon after everything around her changed.

The rooms colored and in an instant, she watched everything made of stone turn to silver and gold with glittering gems that were nearly blinding. 

“Amazing” Sakura gasped looking around in shock and then she heard a voice.

“Yes, it is, though not as grand as myself,”

The voice was booming, heavy with pride that hit every corner of the room. Sakura turned back to where the urn once rested and craned her neck back to embrace what now stood in its place. Skin of pure blue, curved with taught muscle yet lean, hair ash-red with horns nothing short of intimidating and captivating, ruby eyes that came in three instead of two with sclera colored black, sharp silver armor decorating broad shoulders to hook a near translucent fabric of white designed as a toga. This being was both breathtakingly beautiful and terrifying, with a presence that to Sakura’s trained senses held power. 

“I am Beleth the djinn of strength and discord,” The being or djinn as he introduced seemed to be waiting for her response, though she was still awestruck. “You have succeeded in capturing the king’s power,”

“King’s power?” Sakura asked, finding her tongue at last, though it wasn’t as sharp.

"Yes, my king, you have succeeded by appearing before me. I must admit, I had increased the dungeon's difficulty when I felt a strange presence of strength I was unable to determine, but it would seem that I had overestimated your power as it had less potency than anticipated. Nevertheless, you have indeed done well,"

"I don't understand," Sakura shook away all the lingering thoughts of questions trailing from her objective, "I honestly just want to get out of here and get back to my village," 

Soon after she said that something started to glow in the back of Sakura’s pocket, she pulled old the gold frame that had been forgotten for a while. “Now what?”

Beleth looked at it and his eyes went wide “That’s….a magical tool,”

“What are you talking about? No never mind that, can you explain how I can get out of here and back to my village?” Sakura asked in confusion staring up at the blue giant.

“Well that won’t be an issue my king, you shall return to the outside now that the dungeon has been captured,” Beleth affirmed.

Sakura nodded, “And that outside is going to be somewhere back in Konohagakure right?”

“I cannot say,” Beleth admitted, “I am not familiar with the outside world. As well as you my king,"

“So do you know what the hell is going on here?” She held up the frame; still glowing. 

“That my king seems to be reacting to my presence.” Beleth sighed, holding out his palm, his stare intense on it, “That would explain where this came from,”

The chance to ask wasn’t presented as Beleth’s statue decreased to a size where Sakura no longer had to force her chin to touch the ceiling, but still far enough to need to keep her head raised. She shrunk back when Beleth’s hand reached towards her, she wanted to dart away but he urged her to stay.

"I will not harm you, my king, you are now my master. I merely want to assist where I believe I can," 

The djinn pointed down at the frame in her hand, again it took on a bright tinge and a soft fluttering was caught in the distance. After both faded, Sakura looked at the frame again and noticed something shining in the corner of it that wasn’t there before.

“It would seem that I indeed had a shard of glass within me belonging to that frame,”

Sakura frowned, “Okay, so what exactly does this mean?”

Beleth folded his arms, “I am not certain. But I hypothesis that something unusual had caused the mirror to shatter, it’s a magical tool of some kind but I’m unaware of what it does,”

“I think it’s what brought me to this place,”

“Elaborate,”

Sakura could only assume that Beleth would be able to understand once she finished telling her story, and give hopes in discovering more about the severity of her situation. While she wasn't certain how reliable information would be, she was determined to get something viable. So she explained everything as intricately as someone who didn't understand their predicament could. And by the end of her story, it seemed that the djinn had grasped the content better than she did.

"I believe I understand now, why I couldn't detect you arriving in my dungeon through the entrance. It was likely the mirror that brought you here. However, I am not familiar with this magical item. You also have a very unusual presence,"

Her brown scrunched, “I’m not sure what that means, but I already figured the mirror brought me here. So there’s nothing else you can tell me?”

“Unfortunately my king it doesn’t seem that way,”

“Oh!” Sakura held up her hand, “Could you explain why you’re calling me your king?”

Beleth seemed taken back by this, “Interesting, I thought you would at least be aware of the dungeon’s power and treasures. But I shall explain,”

Sakura learned that she was in a place known as dungeons which each held riches and offered the power of a king, but there were many dangers and trials to face to conquer it. And this was only one of many. Those who succeed will then become a king candidate for a magi. Beleth explained that Magi’s were magicians that summoned dungeons.

There was more elaboration on the power of a king which Beleth explained would be the strength she had obtained just now. She would hold the power of a djinn which she would be enabled to summon using magoi.

Even with the explanation, Sakura had been left with more gaps to fill than puzzle pieces in sight. And she tried not to express her disdain to the djinn, but it was nearly impossible.

Sakura sighed, rubbing her forehead, “This is……a lot to take in,”

“I believe now would be a good time for us to depart from here my king,” said Beleth. “There is no point in waiting for answers to find you. Better if you seek them out yourself,”

That was something she could agree on, “Alright, I’ve had enough of this place anyway,”

Unfortunately, Sakura was about to discover that she was much further from home than anticipated and that this was only the beginning.


	2. Looking Closer

'It's not the clothes that make the women, but not bad,' Twisting her waist with ease and flexibility to view her back. Her skin was slightly red from being under the desert sun for two weeks. She fixed the single strap of her red top cut above her stomach. She pulled on the straps of her headband, an eight-pointed star surrounding the Konoha symbol. Trailing her hand along her neck, to the frame of a small broken mirror hanging on a small chain. She just stared at it, eyeing the small shard of mirror sticking out. Similar to her situation, a puzzle with missing pieces.

Drawing back the curtain of the small and awkward changing space in the store, she went to the owner standing behind a desk of fabrics, digging into her sack and taking out a small handful of gold coins. 

“Will this be enough?”

“More than enough kind miss!” He said, eyes gleaming with excitement.

The clay bricks and stone floors that kept the store cool caused an impact when exiting as the sun of a desert beat down in the small town. Sakura's figure was fit, but she preferred loose clothing that could protect her from the elements, but after being beat under the sun, surrounded by dunes, and little vegetation, she reasoned for something more breathable.

As a shinobi, Sakura had traveled to many countries, and on her missions, she had experienced a lot, but nothing could have prepared her for what happened after she was expelled from the giant tower known as a dungeon.

…

…

…

…

…

Awakening to a sky without a cloud, your skin painting red from the sun, and the sound of vultures circling were far from ideal. Yet being able to wake up at all was appreciated. If only a sense of direction had also awakened with Sakura. She spent days without food or water navigating through a desert full of dangerous creatures that she had never seen before in her life and bandits lurking almost everywhere... To survive she would take some of the supplies the bandits carried before moving on with her journey. She nearly regretted taking as much treasure as she did, like a sack of potatoes which was a side dish in comparison to the bags of gold and jewels she chose to leave behind.

Then finally, she had reached an oasis. Few trees dwarfed by the harsh climate yet tall enough to provide the shadows Sakura could only bath in at night. She gathered water in her hands and drank greedily, despite knowing that she would choke. As she spluttered a new presence was felt too close to have appeared from a short distance that she took a defensive stance.

“Are you alright? I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Standing barely a meter away; a young man with long blonde hair in a braid the length of his body with a shine that would make Ino jealous and shimmering blue eyes as clear as the water of the oasis; his clothes dominantly green in a style she wasn’t familiar with. Sakura also couldn’t help but note that he had rather delicate features for a male. He also carried a stick with him and had a large hat on top of his head.

“Who are you?” She knew better than to judge by appearance but at the same time felt no malicious intent directed towards her from this man. 

Then he smiled delicately at her, "My name is Yunan, I'm a traveler. How do you do?"

“Sakura,” She replied with a simple nod. He looked at her like she was an apple on the branch of a pear tree.

"Nice to meet you, Sakura. Are you a traveler as well?" 

“Um;” Sakura smiled; for some reason, she was getting an odd sensation from this person. It was something similar to what she felt before being pulled into the mirror. When she squinted from time to time she swore she could see something fluttering around him in a gentle hum, but it was fleeting. Like trying to learn how to walk for the first time, and stumbling and forgetting how to do it. 

“I suppose,”

“That’s an unusual piece of jewelry,” observed Yunan as Sakura began to unconsciously play with the item around her neck; her fingers lightly skimming over the frame.

“Oh....yes it is.” Sakura said looking down at it “Though it has caused me some trouble,”

“Mm?”

“Nothing” Sakura snapped quickly closing her eyes as she wondered into thought. Right in front of a stranger she had met only moments ago. The odd thing about strangers that Sakura discovered was that you feel secure enough to confide in them without the fear of being judged. However, as a shinobi, she was more cautious than that.

"Sakura if I may for a traveler you seem very......lost."

The pinkette looked up at Yunan in surprise; her full attention now directed at him; she gave a wry smile “A mind-reader are you?”

“I don’t mean to offend you but-

A giggle erupted from Sakura as she looked up at Yunan “Not at all; you are right I am lost.”

There was an abrupt silence between them for a few short moments as Sakura and Yunan contemplated what to say next.

"I'm lost," Sakura said "I want to return home, but I just can’t seem to find the way. Somehow it feels further than I’m aware of,”

“I never thought it would shatter like that,” Yunan said looking now at the frame with sharp eyes that Sakura immediately understood that he had more than an inkling about the object.

“D-Do you know what this is?”

He was silent longer than she would have liked him to be, but eventually, he looked at her with a soft expression. "Looking Glass. Clearing windows and opening them; letting the user pass through into different spaces in this world and another. One different than their own,"

Sakura straightened herself, “Yunan……this mirror is it…..?”

She already knew the answer, but she wanted to hear it from him. Her caution was lost in the sand; all, she wanted to see was the clear answer that she couldn't draw herself.

“I was surprised; when I felt that someone had entered through the Looking Glass from the other side, and then for it to shatter…..”

"You said another world…….does that mean I'm not in mine anymore?"

Yunan nodded curtly, "I'm afraid that's correct. You somehow entered the mirror and caused it to be destroyed. The shards have scattered, but I still feel them in the dungeons I summon. You were also in one of those dungeons and even got a hold of that djinn's power,"

“That tower…..you summoned?” Sakura breathed deeply. “What are you? What is going on?”

Yunan stood up, “I don’t have all the answers you’re looking for right now. But if you want to return to your world; you have to restore the Looking Glass. It is drawn to the shards and it wants to be repaired. If you succeed, you’ll be able to use it once more to get back,”

“I think I get it,” Sakura stared at the frame, frowning so hard her forehead had crease lines etched into her skin. “So this will get me back to my world?”

“Not until you complete it.”

"You still didn't tell me who you are?" 

Yunan smiled “You should be careful on your journey. There is much going on with this world Sakura; one very different but very similar to your own. For better or worse and you will likely be unable to avoid getting caught up in its calamities. Especially if you are going to pursue the shards,”

"What are you saying?" Sakura asked suspiciously; narrowing her eyes at the young man. Raising his stick into the air, a fluttering chime echoed through her ears, sand blew over her eyes causing her to squint in discomfort. Her body felt like paper, that was soon lifted in the wind.

"If you want to awaken your new power, simply follow the voice in your heart,"

“Wait; tell me what exactly do you mean by that?” Sakura called trying to get her feet back on the ground, but the wind held her in its hands, gently but firm enough that she couldn’t break from it. No matter how she attempted to twist, or the amount of chakra that she poured through her body. 

“Don’t worry. You just have to listen and look carefully.”

There was the fluttering again and for the first time Sakura caught sight of what appeared to be golden birds flying around Yunan; she didn’t know what they were or how she knew this but they seemed happy?

“Trust yourself and I’m certain the answers you’re seeking will come to you.”

“Wai-

And then similarly to when she was thrown into the dungeon, she was drawn upwards to the sky and forced to fly through it.

..

..

"Look and listen; what the heck does that even mean?" Sakura said to herself as she stared at the broken mirror once again. She narrowed her eyes; it had been hours now since she had run into the strange traveler and she was yet to figure out the meaning behind his words. It was as if she was trying to solve a riddle. 

She took off her headband starring up at the star that had been placed on it. “You wouldn’t happen to know anything do you?”

The headband glowed and Sakura sighed “Didn’t think so....”

She had been sent to the outskirts of a city, and Yunan was long gone from her sight. Going back into the desert to look for the one person who understood who she was and her situation was more tempting than realized, but logic dictated that Yunan wouldn't be waiting for her at the oasis, and wandering a desert with no particular destination in mind was nothing short of foolish. She was reckless but she wasn't stupid.

The best choice was to move forward and find the remaining shards of the frame so that she could return to her world.

Before embarking Sakura prepared for the unknown, buying supplies for the journey and yet she still would not be able to relieve herself of even half the treasure she chose to carry along. 

* * *

Dirt roads that kicked up dust and filled your mouth with passing caravans and buildings made of stones, clay, and straw, most in simple clothing with a little color. It was all something new, a world without ninja, where magic existed. She would have been curious, but her mind was set on finding the path that would take her to the shards of the Looking Glass.

If only she could make sense of what Yunan told her. If only she had a starting line instead of wandering. But she couldn't remain stationary either or that would achieve nothing. So she would begin traveling to find the answers.

“My; that...” A merchant trailed starring at the gold peeking out of Sakura's bag. “That is quite a large amount of treasure. You’ll draw a lot of attention to yourself. The road following out of this town is famous for bandits.”

“And to this town.” Added Sakura with little regard “That is something I am concerned about,”

“Yes; that’s because of the recent rise in attacks on caravans and such.”

Understanding what was meant in that short sentence Sakura didn’t press the matter any further. She would stay a night to make sure she had taken all of the essentials and then be on the road once again.

Sakura smiled; this merchant was kind even while mentioning her treasure he did not look upon it with greedy eyes nor did he attempt to pry into her business and ask how she had acquired that treasure. Sakura pulled out a smaller sack from the larger one and held it out to the merchant; who became wide-eyed.

"Consider this my thanks to you for informing me," Sakura said holding out the bag as though it weighed nothing which to her it did.

The merchant raised his hands "But this is-

“Please take it. Honestly, it would lighten my load.”

The merchant’s wife seemed to be struck speechless but her eyes filled with tears of happiness as the merchant took the bag grateful. After receiving more praise than she thought necessary, Sakura asked, “Oh yes; do you know where I can find an inn and caravans leaving soon. Possibly tomorrow?”

* * *

After receiving the information and gathering up the last of her supplies Sakura set off towards the caravans as directed. She was going to ask around to see who would be leaving tomorrow and then get some rest-of course if it was that she could only leave today so be it but she was hoping to find a way to move this treasure along.

She felt a light flutter within her and gently touched the headband on her “It’s not that I don’t appreciate it, but I’ve got so much still,”

There had been many surprises rising to the surface since Sakura left the dungeon. She didn't realize for a while that she was carrying one until she heard Beleth's voice inside her head and found the eight-pointed star on her forehead protector. As the conqueror of the dungeon, she was not only entitled to its treasures but also the power of the djinn that resided within. She just didn't know what that meant for her.

Confirming that she had been transported to another world, was still taking most of the space in her mind. There were humans in this world, just like her, but there were other elements that were not. And as an interloper, she was unaware of those differences. But as she arrived at the caravans, one of those differences made itself known.

“OI, MOVE IT YOU WORTHLESS PIECES OF TRASH,”

The air vibrated with the distinct clinking of metal shuffling against itself, moving closer and closer towards her. She saw several men moving across the road, clearing ways like they were poorly experienced shepherds leading a flock. Only this flock consisted of humans dressed in the same rough fabric covering their hollow bodies. A sight that captured her interest and grief. There were about fifty in all and they varied in age and gender. It was a sight that made the pinkettes blood boil to such a degree she was trembling. Heavy chains decorated each person’s wrists; ankles and neck as they were dragged along with hollow and discolored faces.

‘What kind of sick-

She couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence for there wasn’t time.

“Hey!” Sakura called stopping the five men that were leading the people. “What do you think you’re doing?”

One of them turned to her with a disgruntled face obviously from being called. "Huh, you talking to us girl?"

The pinkette did not waver “Yeah; what the hell are you doing with all these people? Let them go!”

The ten men glanced amongst themselves before they burst into fits of laughter.

“Is she serious?”

“Let them go!” another mocked in a girlish voice which only succeeded in pissing Sakura off even more.

Then the largest man of them all, potbellied hanging from his clothes, stubble, eyes that reminded you of a snake, stalked over to Sakura “Listen here; if you don’t want to get hurt I suggest you keep your trap shut girl. Don’t you know slaves when you see em?”

Sakura’s eyes widened at the word “Slave?”

“Yeah; these people are slaves. They’re going to be sold at an auction in the next town.”

Slavery. Such a thing existed in this world? The freedom to take another human being and treat them as property without mind or will. Something like that was allowed? 

‘How vulgar’ 

“They’re our property.”

“And there’s nothing you can do about it.”

Sakura no longer had any intention of holding back, “What the hell makes you think you have a right to someone else life?”

One smiled with missing teeth, “This is the world’s system sweetie; ain’t anyone going to demolish it.”

This was the world's system?

That’s right.

This world wasn’t hers; she had no attachment to it; nothing to bind her; she had no reason to hold anything back. She realized that not too long ago; she could do whatever she pleased. She could deny the system all she wanted.

“If that’s the case; I’ll gladly fight it,” Sakura hissed, clenching her fists. “Unchain those people right now! They aren’t your property!”

They laughed in a manner that reminded Sakura of donkeys. She could easily endure knowing that it would be that much sweeter when she broke loose. It wasn't going to be long before they realized they were stepping into a minefield mistaking them for daisies.

“Who the hell are you to tell us what to do little girl?”

"Just a traveler,"

A hand reached out towards her, “We’ll make you a slave too then and teach you what it means-

The bones in that hand were reduced to shards after Sakura took it and squeezed with little might. The man fell back in agony, clutching his broken hand and rolling around in the dirt wailing. The nine remaining drew their swords and moved to attack.

“YOU LITTLE-

She side-stepped the heavy swing and knocked out her attacker, leaving only eight.

They were experienced. Not as professional swordsmen, but rather used to waving a weapon like a wand to take control of a situation. Sakura could detect a slight mixture of herbs on the metal and knew that the blades had been coated with poison. Not deadly, likely just to tranquilize victims and make capture easy.

In less than thirty seconds, the slave traders were unconscious and restrained tightly with all weapons removed.

“I’ll deal with you when you wake up,”

Sakura then went to the chained individuals who were wondering what would become of them. She couldn’t blame them, since they were supposed to be sold at an auction and were now in the hands of a young girl. But they were about to realize that this was the greatest light of luck found in their misty despair.

Sakura moved quickly to unchain all of them, the chains had been worn for so long that it rubbed against their flesh and left painful marks revealing their enslavement. They were like paper ready to be swept away in the wind.

“From this day on, you are all free to do as you wish. You’re no longer slaves,”

Sakura could see that they were having trouble believing this, not in a negative sense but that they had already lost so much hope that they worried fate would be cruel by letting them glimpse at it from afar. Only to keep it out of reach. But she was more than willing to show them that there was indeed hope and a second chance.

One of the women grabbed her wrist, and squeezed them weakly, tears falling down her face. "Bless you, child. Bless you,”

Under the remaining light, Sakura tended to the former slaves. All were malnourished, their bones protruding under their limp clothing. Sakura hired out an entire inn to lodge and tend to them. She healed and bandaged the injured, those who were in better condition stayed to help her.

She didn't sleep that night as she attempted to fix both physical and mental injuries inflicted on the slaves. They must have also been traveling through the desert under the worst conditions. She heard that the number of people now was half as that many were lost during their journey to this town.

Many cried about losing captured family members, having to watch them be discarded without proper burials. A lot suffered from dehydration and starvation. It was truly the most unjust. A lot of these people had lives before being captured. Either traveling only to be captured, some sadly sold by their own family, raids, and so on.

Sakura had seen and heard many cruel ordeals as a shinobi, but this was a fresh horror. There was no way for her to permanently remedy such a thing in this world, but for now, she was willing to do what she could.

* * *

With this, she stayed in town longer than anticipated but after a week the people were starting to show progress. Sakura decided to leave them with most of her treasure while she kept a small portion for herself and traveling.

It was supposed to be her last night in that town, but while she slept in her room that night. She didn’t rest at all. Her mind plagued by a voice, and the same statement playing over and over again.

_A_ _slih ma tama kasrah_ _(_ _Fix that which has been broken_ _)_

_Aistirdad ma tama tahtimuh (_ _retrieve that which has been shattered_ _)_

_Wamae kl qiteat qumt bi'iislahiha (_ _And with each piece that you have mended_ _)_

_A_ _n tunazil nafidhatan jadidatan_ _(_ _A new window shall be descended_ _)_

Sakura's eyes snapped opened; her chest heaving up and down as thoughts filled her mind of what it was she had just dreamed. The words were still lingering; with her memory, she was able to recall it all from the beginning to the very last word. 

“What was that?” she asked herself; sitting up from her bed she clutched her head in frustration. Words and phrases she had never heard before; a language in her dreams, yet she could feel that it wasn’t. Somehow she understood what she heard.

Everything that had happened flashed through her mind in an instant; from returning home to finding the mirror to capturing a dungeon to the mysterious stranger who told her to open her eyes and ears to the truth and without much realization or consideration of consequence she began to mutter the verses that had entered her mind.

“ ** _ **A**_** ** _ **slih ma tama kasrah**_** _” She uttered, clasping a hand around the frame of the Looking Glass. “_ ** _ **Aistirdad ma tama tahtimuh**_** _” Fluttering began filling the room, joining in with her chanting of the unknown language that fell off her tongue like liquid, “_ ** _ **Wamae kl qiteat qumt bi'iislahiha”**_** She was able to hear the fluttering getting louder now; it was as if she was surrounded by some kind of swarm she could now hear but still she did not open her eyes. It gave her a sense of warmth; curiosity and caution.

She couldn’t have known what was to come after she recited the final verse The fluttering sounded more frantic now than ever but she ignored it.

_“_ **_**A** _ ** **_**n tunazil nafidhatan jadidatan** _ ** **_**.** _ ** _”_

And just like that, the fluttering stopped. The small yet cozy little inn room became still; the unmade bed lied empty, bags untouched, and would remain unclaimed as the resident vanished without a trace.

Just like the sun that vanishes when night arrives.

* * *

The sensation of teleporting was all the same, like being picked up and have gravity work against you. All your mobility, no matter how skilled, becomes moot as you’re pulled and pushed and flung all at the same time. You can’t see where you’re going and you don’t know when you’re going to get there, all you can focus on is the sensation of having lost control.

Until it finally ends.

It was like her body became stone over the short journey, irritation, and numbness. As if she was waking up from a restless sleep. Her lips parted as she let out a strangled noise. She felt she was lying on something soft yet extremely cold that her skin’s warmth was absorbed, sinking into the ground, making it loose only for it to stop when there was no more heat left in her hands. 

As she breathed deep, it was as if the air pierced her lungs and she sat up quickly to observe her surroundings. Whiteness and clean air. She tilted her head further up to look at the sky, dark with falling snow that sat on her skin removing her heat. Mountains in the distance, all white, an ocean further out with glaciers.

“Where am I?” Sakura wondered looking around before her thoughts landed on the weather; the snow that touched her bare skin caused her to start shivering. Her attire no longer suited the climate conditions. Then again it wasn’t as if she was planning to suddenly wake up in a land of ice and snow.

“How did I get here?”

She began to search for the answer in the confines of her mind; with her analytical abilities sharp as ever it wasn't hard for her to come up with a theory. She looked at the mirror-the looking glass with skeptical eyes.

“Did this send me here?” she wondered.

The top of her headband glowed brightly _“It would appear so my king.”_

She then realized that she did not have any of her supplies she had just bought and the treasure wasn’t there as well. It seemed that all she had was the clothes on her back and thankfully her headband.

First entering a dungeon and fighting monsters, then appearing in a desert, and now she was in a land of snow and ice with no specific idea of the geographical location. What’s worse, without supplies or any idea on how to get back.

"Well, it can't get any worse."

Or so she thought.

“You there! Who are you?”

Sakura groaned and looked up “Does this world have something against me?”

Turning around Sakura saw that she had been surrounded by several men who were coming down from the hills of snow; all carrying huge red spears of a material she couldn't place pointed right at her. All of them were huge and that was no understatement. Far from any normal human being. It would be sufficient to call them giants. They wore pieces of cloth wrapped around their broad shoulders but other than that their chests were completely bare which made Sakura wonder how it was they weren’t freezing. They looked at ease in the harsh climate. Their hair was a deep yet light blue as the sky. Their eyes looked at the small girl with hostility and contempt. 

She smiled, holding up her hands, red spears pointed at her from all directions. “Nice to meet you?”

**Author's Note:**

> There we go. If you're a newcomer you can check out my fanarts for my story on my Deviantart page. Username: Katsura369.  
> https://www.deviantart.com/katsura369


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